Grasping device for jute bags and the like pieces of fabric



Nov. 15, 1966 D. HARTON 3,235,549

GRASPING DEVICE FOR JUTE BAGS AND THE LIKE PIECES OF FABRIC Filed July51, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENT0/? /3 Daniel HA/PTO/V QM W PA TENT AGENT D. HARTON GRASPING DEVICE FOR JUTE BAGS AND THE LIKE PIECES OF FABRIC2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed July 31, 1964 lNVENTfl/F Dan/kl llA/PTOA/ QM PPATENT A6f/V7' United States Patent 3,285,649 GRASPING DEVICE FOR JUTEBAGS AND THE LIKE PIECES OF FABRIC 1 Daniel Harton, Black Lake, Quebec,Canada, assignor 0f fifty percent to Paul M. Pidcock, Westmount, Quebec,

Canada Filed July 31, 1964, Ser. No. 386,496 8 Claims. (Cl. 294-61) Thepresent invention relates to a device specially woven fabric from astack of pieces, in such a way that a substantial surface area of thepiece of fabric will adhere to the grasping device, such that the lattercan transfer the piece of fabric from the stack to any other suitablelocation.

A more specific object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a fabric grasping device, which is more particularly adapted for useas a component of a bag placing machine for the purpose of placing jutebags onto the outlet spout of a horizontal type pressure packer machine,in a completely automatic manner without manual assistance other thanthe original stacking of the empty jute bags in a magazine.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of agrasping device of the character described, which is adapted to grasponly the top wall of the topmost bag or a stack of such bags made offabric and to lift said topmost bag off the stack in order to allowopening up of the bag for eventual filling of the same.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of agrasping device of the character described, which holds the piece offabric in a very efficient and firm manner and over a substantialsurface area of the same.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision ofa grasping device of the character described, which can be easilyadapted to grasp fabrics of different types of weave and/ or yarn.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention willbecome more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring tothe drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bag placing machine using, as one ofits components, the grasping device in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View of the grasping device;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section, the main plate being partially broken away;and

FIGURE 5 is a partial longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, takenalong line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like referencecharacters indicate like elements throughout, the grasping device inaccordance with the invention comprises a main plate 1, of elongatedrectangular shape, having a substantially flat fabric-contacting face 2provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 3, ofgenerally T-shaped cross section, and opening at one end 4 of plate 1. j

A plurality of bars 5, of T-shaped cross section, are slidably mountedwithin grooves 3, having a sliding fit therein. Bars 5 areinterconnected at the end 4 of plate 1 by means of a header plate 6protruding from the other face 7 of plate 1.

The assembly of bars 5 and header plate 6 can be longitudinally movedwith respect to plate 1 by any suitable power means such as an aircylinder and piston unit 8,

which, for instance, is attached to header plate 6 and to a bracket 9secured to plate 1.

Main plate 1 is provided between grooves 3 with lon-' gitudinal rows ofinclined bores 10, in which are fitted with a tight fit conventionalnails 11, such that the point 12 of said nails will protude from thefabric contacting face 2 of plate 1.

Similarly, bars 5 are each provided with a series of longitudinallyspaced inclined bores 13, in which are fitted shorter nails 14, thepoint 15 of which protrudes from the fabric-contacting face 16 of saidbars 5.

Faces 2 and 16 of plate 1 and bars 5, respectively, are substantiallyflush and bars 5 are movable in a plane parallel to said faces 2 and 16.The points 12 provided by nails 11 are substantially equally spaced anddisposed in longitudinal and transverse rows, and .the points 15 ofnails 14 of bars 5 are also equally spaced and disposed in longitudinaland transverse rows. Moreover, the longitudinal rows of the nails 11alternate with the longitudinal rows of nails 14.

Nails 11 are oppositely inclined with respect to nails The stroke ofbars 5 is equal to at least the distance separating two successive nails14 and such that said nails 14 will, during movement of bars 5,intersect the transverse rows of tips 12 of nails 11.

In the use of the device 20 for the grasping and transfer of'jute bags,the device is brought to bear onto the topmost jute bag of a stack ofsuch bags such that faces 2 and 16 of plate 1 and bars 5, will contactfirmly the top wall of said bag and the majority of points 12 and 15will engage the interstices between the woven yarns. of the bag.

The cylinder unit 8 is thereafter actuated to move header 6 and bars 5so that the transverse yarns of the top wall of the bag will bedisplaced by the nails to take a more or less zigzag shape.Substantially the same yarns, or at least clusters of adjacent yarnsbeing engaged from both sides by the points 12 and 15. Thus, the top bagwall is firmly grasped over a substantial area by the device inaccordance with the invention and the latter can be lifted with the bagso as to transfer the bag and, at the same time, open the same, thelower wall of the bag becoming separated by gravity.

The grasping device 20 of the present invention may be used, forinstance, as a component of a bag-placing machine, shown in perspectiveview in FIGURE 1.

The device 20 is mounted in the machine of FIGURE 1 so as to be bodilyswung to one side, as shown in FIG- URE 1, from positions in which plate1 is horizontal with its face 2 being its underface. In the horizontalposition of device 20, the latter can be raised or lowered; in thelowermost position, plate 1 contacts the topmost bag of a stack of jutebags, not shown, housed in magazine space 21 underneath the device 20.Thus, the device 20 can be operated to grasp the top wall of the topmostbag of the stack, raise the bag off the stack so that the bottom wall ofthe bag will hang freely to open up the mouth of the bag, ready for theinsertion into said mouth of a corner form-er attachment 22.

Device 20 is then swung to one side to bring the sides of the jute bagin a vertical position. The edges of the bag mouth are then grasped byfingers 23 and, after re lease of the bag from device 20, said bag canbe transferred and fitted to the spout of packer machine (not shown) forfilling the bag. Then, the full bag is transferred to a tilting table24, which drops the bag in vertical position onto a discharge conveyor25.

The machine of FIGURE 1 forms no part of the invention and isillustrated only to show a specific application of the grasping device20.

As will be noted, the grasping device can open up the jute bag forsubsequent easy filling of the same, and this in a completely automaticmanner.

Points 12 and 15 may be provided with saw teeth or the like and theirspacing and height may be varied to suit different types of yarns andweaves of the fabric pieces to be grasped.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has beenillustrated and described, it is understood that various modificationsmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fabric grasping device comprising a first element having spacedsubstantially fiat and substantially flush fabric-contacting surfaceportions, a second element having space-d substantially flatfabric-contacting surface portions extending between the surfaceportions of said first element and substantially flush therewith, aplurality of spaced points carried by each of said elements protrudingfrom said surface portions and distributed over substantially the entirearea of said surface portions, said elements being reciprocable relativeto one another in planes parallel tosaid surface portions so that thepoints of one element will intersect lines passing through the points ofthe other element, and means to reciprocate one element relative to theother, said points being inclined with respect to said surface portions,the points carried by said first element being oppositely inclined withrespect to the points carried by said second element.

2. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pointsare disposed in longitudinal rows, the rows of one element alternatingwith the rows of the other element.

3. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the points ofeach element are further aligned in several transverse rows.

4. A fabric grasping device comprising an elongated plate having asubstantially flat fabric-contacting surface and provided withlongitudinally extending transversely spaced grooves made therein, barsslidable in said grooves, a head element interconnecting the ends ofsaid bars protruding from one end of said plate, power means to movesaid bars in said grooves relative to said plate, said plate and barshaving substantially flush fabric-contacting surfaces, a plurality ofspaced points protruding from said surfaces, the points of said barsintersecting lines passing through the points of said plate duringmovement of said bars said points being inclined with respect to saidfabriccontacting surfaces, the points of said bars being oppositelyinclined with respect to the points ofsaid plate.

5. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said groovesand bars are provided with means to slidably retain said bars in saidgrooves.

6. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pointsare those of nails fitted in bores in said plates and in said bars.

7. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pointsare disposed in longitudinal rows, the rows on said bars alternatingwith the rows on said plate.

8. A fabric grasping device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pointsare disposed in longitudinal rows, the rows on said bars atlernatingwith the rows on said plate, the points on said bars being furthertransversely aligned in several courses, the points on said plates beingfurther transversely aligned in several courses.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1952 Rose 2946l4/1959 Abbott 294103 X

1. A FABRIC GRASPING DEVICE COMPRISING A FIRST ELEMENT HAVING SPACEDSUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH FABRIC-CONTACTING SURFACEPORTIONS, A SECOND ELEMENT HAVING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY FLATFABRIC-CONTACTING SURFACE PORTIONS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SURFACEPORTIONS OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT AND SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH THEREWITH, APLURALITY OF SPACED POINTS CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS PROTRUDINGFROM SAID SURFACE PORTIONS AND DISTRIBUTED OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIREAREA OF SAID SURFACE PORTIONS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING RECIPROCABLE RELATIVETO ONE ANOTHER IN PLANES PARALLEL TO SAID SURFACE PORTIONS SO THAT THEPOINTS OF ONE